Follow the Fader

Designer to Watch: Stas Sumenkov

Stas Sumenkov is a 25-year old designer who lives in the Ural Mountains, in a city called Yekaterinburg not far from Siberia. Unlike compatriot Gosha Rubchinskiy, a Moscow-based designer who's made a splash in menswear for his beautiful take on the very specific subculture of punks in Russia, Sumenkov gravitates more to everyday Russian street style. "I've drawn my inspiration from images of ordinary people who can be seen on the streets, in transport, in shops in any city of our country," he says. There's a staid restraint to the collection, almost uniform-like in its neutral tones and fits, but a few graphic images throughout of what looks like Russian soldiers engaging in a bit of violent horseplay might be Sumenkov's subtle take on the political climate in Russia lately. Definitely one to watch.